Where to live for mixed race with $1000 income

[Dark_Sol]

Title says it all, I get an income for $1000 for disability from the military for life. No college degree, but going to school for culinary. Plan to save the additional +$2000 from my gibill to move and invest. Which country can I live comfortably with $1000 a month. I am already living alright with this in the US.

[publicduende]

What mixed race are you referring to?
The north of Colombia is a lovely place for mixed race people, as there's a better melting pot of black Caribbean, white, middle eastern and even Asian.

With $1000 (1.7 million Colombian pesos) you could live in a nice rented two bedroom flat in a heavenly place by the sea like Santa Marta, or even Cartagena if you prefer a more bustling and international environment.

[momopi]

Title says it all, I get an income for $1000 for disability from the military for life. No college degree, but going to school for culinary. Plan to save the additional +$2000 from my gibill to move and invest. Which country can I live comfortably with $1000 a month. I am already living alright with this in the US.

There are many places around the world where you can live comfortably on $1,000/month. I'm curious as to your plans with your culinary school education.

Since you do get GI Bill subsidies for education, would you consider getting a college degree at home, online, or abroad?

[pete98146]

What mixed race are you referring to?
The north of Colombia is a lovely place for mixed race people, as there's a better melting pot of black Caribbean, white, middle eastern and even Asian.

With $1000 (1.7 million Colombian pesos) you could live in a nice rented two bedroom flat in a heavenly place by the sea like Santa Marta, or even Cartagena if you prefer a more bustling and international environment.

If I'm not mistaken in order to get a long time visa in Brazil, you need to show their govt that you have $2000 income per month so you'd have to strike Brazil off your list. Publicduende is right on the mark!!! I'd be checking out Colombia too. Those mixed ladies are off the charts pretty.

[xiongmao]

You could live on that in China. It's kind of hard to get residency unless you marry a Chinese woman though (as if this is a problem!).

[Dark_Sol]

I'm mixed race, Peruvian, chinese, irish, creek indian and others. Wondering which country would be more accepting for me. For my education, I'm going to a private school with guys who been in the cooking world for +10 years. I could go overseas and use it, but it seems to much paper work and red tape to get through. I talked to guys who are wll off and they say that becoming a chef is a great idea, easily can get work if your good.

[publicduende]

I'm mixed race, Peruvian, chinese, irish, creek indian and others. Wondering which country would be more accepting for me. For my education, I'm going to a private school with guys who been in the cooking world for +10 years. I could go overseas and use it, but it seems to much paper work and red tape to get through. I talked to guys who are wll off and they say that becoming a chef is a great idea, easily can get work if your good.

If you like hot weather all year round as I do and your plan is to work as a chef, places like Cartagena des Indias (Colombia) just seem perfect to me. They're not as sophisticated as Miami or Acapulco yet theyre booming and developing an international jet set mentality. This means more chic bars and restaurant to cater for the local and cosmopolitan rich, and more opportunities for a young talented chef to work, have a good life while furthering their career.

My wife's brother is a pro chef, he did a university degree in that and he's specialising in fish cuisine. Last time I heard from him he told me of Cartagena and Bogota the best locations for a budding chef.

Plus the big racial mix in the north Caribe will help making you feel at ease. Good luck!

[momopi]

I'm mixed race, Peruvian, Chinese, Irish, creek Indian and others. Wondering which country would be more accepting for me. For my education, I'm going to a private school with guys who been in the cooking world for +10 years. I could go overseas and use it, but it seems to much paper work and red tape to get through. I talked to guys who are well off and they say that becoming a chef is a great idea, easily can get work if your good.

I worked in my parent's restaurant for few years. My suggestion is that if you do go overseas to run your own restaurant (or work in a restaurant), do breakfast to lunch shift only (6am-2pm). American & New American style breakfast is also far easier to make than dinner entree's. I'd rather be making blueberry pancakes and dutch ovens in the morning instead of cooking protein at 8pm.





(Dutch Oven)

[Jester]

If you like hot weather all year round as I do and your plan is to work as a chef, places like Cartagena des Indias (Colombia) just seem perfect to me. They're not as sophisticated as Miami or Acapulco yet theyre booming and developing an international jet set mentality. This means more chic bars and restaurant to cater for the local and cosmopolitan rich, and more opportunities for a young talented chef to work, have a good life while furthering their career.

My wife's brother is a pro chef, he did a university degree in that and he's specialising in fish cuisine. Last time I heard from him he told me of Cartagena and Bogota the best locations for a budding chef.

Plus the big racial mix in the north Caribe will help making you feel at ease. Good luck!

+1
This is the absolutely the right answer.

If you hold a U.S. passport you can enter as a tourist and spend 3 months at a time, job-hunting in Colombia while living via the ATM from your U.S. account. Colombia is rising and big hotels etc. will snap you up with your gringo degree.

Once you locate a job there is massive paperwork, but you can get help. It won't be hard if you make some friends. Just let employer guide you through the process. They may introduce you to a "fixer" who has connections, who can walk the paperwork through, this is fine, like using a lawyer here. Your hands stay clean. Don't offer a bribe to Colombian immigration folks.

Basically Colombia just wants FirstWorld guys doing FirstWorld jobs to advance the country, not unskilled workers taking jobs from Colombians. The key here is that you are going to support the high-end tourist industry by preparing dishes that cater to international visitors. So the Yankee cooking school degree is the key.

Take all your papers including birth certificate, divorce decree (if any), child support up-to-date letter (if any), discharge papers, proof of disability payment (letter from VA. etc) and bank statements showing deposits, plus an FBI report showing your criminal record if any.

First step: A Colombian consulate (or embassy?) can advise you on the steps. Find out if the school certificate will qualify you for an employment visa (once you get hired of course). Also find out the exact paperwork required. Ask which documents will need translation and/or "apostille".

(Note: Make it clear you're not applying today for an employment visa, you're just going to visit as a tourist and look around first. If they are willing to hook you up with an employment visa right away, of course, take it, because it will save your employer paperwork and make you easier to hire.)

Second step: Go to a Live-Scan office (may be called something else outside California) to get fingerprinted, and order the FBI certificate to be mailed to a family address in states. Your family can send it to you down there later.

Third step: Buy a plane ticket, call your bank the day before you go and tell them where you'll be, fly to Colombia, look around, make friends, have fun.

Thank us later.

[royaldude]

if you want to cook for a living abroad you might want to own your own restuarant as chefs usually make shit money, even in the us the average pay for a cook is like 10 dollars an hr. however owning a business abroad especially a restuarant is difficult if not impossible for certain countries unless you marry a local. the good news is that the investment to run a restuarant abroad is less than us. far less taxes, insurance, rent and employee salaries. yet its more difficult as the locals tend to be less wealthy and have less money to spend eating out than in us. i would relocate to a tourist zone and open a restuarant catering to gringo western tastes in a market not already saturated with those types of joints

[polya]

I personally am attracted to countries that have VERY LITTLE red tape in terms of visas and work permits. These include Guatelemala, Dominician Rep, Panama, Paraguay... You'd have to see if your $1,000/month income and your age qualifies you for each country. Trust me - there's nothing worse than getting established, then having a visa revoked.

[Jester]

I personally am attracted to countries that have VERY LITTLE red tape in terms of visas and work permits.

Good point! (Me too!)

These include Guatelemala, Dominician Rep, Panama, Paraguay... You'd have to see if your $1,000/month income and your age qualifies you for each country.

Panama would be an interesting choice for the OP based on lots of high-end restaurants and mixed-race folks of all types... but probably just as hard as Colombia for visa. They have easy retiree visas in Panama but I bet he is too young for that, so he would be looking at a work visa, like in Colombia. And Panama might have a higher cost of living than our man wants.

I think the OP is saying he is part Black Peruvian, and I don't think Guatemala and Paraguay would be quite as welcoming as the other places discussed. Also maybe there are fewer jobs for US-trained chefs. But of course high-end hotels do exist in every country. And Guatemala and Paraguay are indeed easy to get into. I know Paraguay lets you work openly right away if you apply for residency, which is easy. Both places should be affordable.

DR is an interesting choice for the OP. I think there are French expat settlements in the north of the country, there has to be some gastronomy going on to serve those folks. Permanent residency isn't as cheap as Paraguay and Guatemala (DR takes $17k US in the bank to get permanent)...... but I think noone cares there, just don't worry about it.

For what the OP stated he wants, DR probably beats out Cartagena slightly, because of cost of living and easy year-round stay. (Not sure about Santa Marta.)

Trust me - there's nothing worse than getting established, then having a visa revoked.

I'm sure you're right. That's why I get irritated with posters on expat forums who say, "Just go there and see for yourself!" Why spend time and money if you aren't going to be able to stay?

[Dark_Sol]

I'm not black, but I just wonder about what countries might be good. Heard stories of some countries not that friendly to foreigners or mixed race. As for place to work and cost of living. Is DR better in terms of cost of living and visa than Colombia? If it's true that you can get permanent residency with just $17k, than that's no problem. Also, what's the tax like? I would like to live somewhere that has low taxes and easy and cheap to acquire land.

[Jester]

I'm mixed race, Peruvian, chinese, irish, creek indian and others. Wondering which country would be more accepting for me. For my education, I'm going to a private school with guys who been in the cooking world for +10 years. I could go overseas and use it, but it seems to much paper work and red tape to get through. I talked to guys who are wll off and they say that becoming a chef is a great idea, easily can get work if your good.

I'm not black, but I just wonder about what countries might be good. Heard stories of some countries not that friendly to foreigners or mixed race. As for place to work and cost of living. Is DR better in terms of cost of living and visa than Colombia? If it's true that you can get permanent residency with just $17k, than that's no problem. Also, what's the tax like? I would like to live somewhere that has low taxes and easy and cheap to acquire land.

Sorry, I guess we misunderstood you about race. I don't see why you are worried. Asian mestizos are looked up to in Peru, and accepted elsewhere. Only Argentina and Uruguay might be annoyed at another Peruvian trying to settle in their country. You will have no problems anywhere else I think.

Yes, DR will be easier than Colombia in terms of residency and cost of living. Tax is lower in DR as well. 25% top rate in DR versus 33% in Colombia.

For zero income tax even on local income, try Paraguay. That could change soon but I bet it won't - and even if it does it will be 10%. Asuncion is said to be the cheapest city in South America to live. Booming economy too.

[Jester]

Also take a look at this thread on Roosh Forum, it's costly about geting laid easily on a short trip, but does have some useful general info:

http://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-8390.html